Favorite Onion Pakoras

I have traveled and tried food all over the country. So much to eat, so little time! When I come back home, I try to replicate some of these dishes and share them with my family. When I tried onion pakoras for the first time, I fell in love almost immediately. It hits all the right notes. Crispy, spicy, garlicky and just a bit sweet from the onions. Paired with a good sauce like tamarind chutney makes it even more amazing! And so easy to make! This is a recipe that I like to make for my mum and rest of my family. It makes me happy to see them enjoy it. Happy heart.

So onto the recipe. Basically, take an onion, quarter and slice it. Add garlic, ginger, chilis if using and cilantro. I like to use my hands to sort of massage and rub in these ingredients.

Then add turmeric, garam masala, salt and baking powder. Mix well.

Add besan in batches and keep mixing until an extremely thick batter forms. The water released from the onions will help to form the batter and you can add a splash of water to help the batter come together.

Then I use my hands to scoop and drop dollops of onion mix into the heated oil. Basically about one tablespoon of the mix. You can use a small ice cream scoop for this as well. Pieces of onion will stick out and this is ok. These pieces will get nice and crispy and will be extra delicious!

Fry until golden brown and crispy. You can see the onion pieces sticking out. Drain on paper towels.

And there you have it! Onion pakoras! Garnish with some more chopped cilantro and serve with some tamarind chutney. Easy and tasty!

Let me know what you think in the comments section below!

RECIPE:

Serves 4

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 cup besan (pea flour)

1 medium onion quartered and sliced

1 tbsp crushed ginger

1 tbsp crushed garlic

1 Thai chili finely chopped

Handful of chopped cilantro

1/2 turmeric

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp baking powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsp water (optional)

Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

1. Peel, quarter and slice the onion.

2. Add garlic, ginger, chili if using and cilantro and mix well with or massage into onion slices.

3. Add turmeric, garam masala, salt and baking powder. Mix well.

4. Add besan in batches and mix well with onions until a thick dough-like mix forms.

5. Heat up oil for frying on medium heat.

6. Add in scoops (about 1 tbsp) of onion pakora mix either with hand or small scoop and fry in batches until crispy, puffy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

7. Serve as is or with a tamarind sauce. Enjoy!

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